GM Free growing regions in Hastings District, Far North, Whangarei and Auckland are all under threat if the Maori Party sides with National, according to some growers.

"The changes Environment Minister, Hon. Nick Smith wants to introduce to the Resource Management Act will take away the rights of regions to make their own decisions to protect their local economy and environment," Pure Hawkes Bay said in a press release. "Under Clause 360D in the RMA Bill, the Government can to stop regions from making their own decisions on key issues, such as whether their territories remain GM Free."

Regions are fighting back, however, and have recently launched a social media campaign calling on the Maori Party to help them stand up for local democracy and protect their right to be GM Free, which covers what is grown and farmed on the land.

In a video just released, community leaders, local Iwi, mayors, growers, exporters, farmers, and people from across these regions are speaking out to protect their democratic right to be GM Free. The production is fronted by Ngati Kahunaungu chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana and also includes former All Black captain Taine Randell, Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule, Auckland councillor and former Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai, Far North Depute Mayor Tania McInnes, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham and local farmers and growers.

Prior to Christmas, the Maori Party told Smith in a letter that they did not support new regulatory powers (under s360D(1)(d)) if he can use them to prevent regions from creating GM Free zones.

Ngati Kahunaungu chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana said he hoped the Government and the Maori Party would listen to the voice of the regions. “We have a duty for our people to provide the best food from the best land on the planet - free of genetic modification. We will work face to face and shoulder to shoulder with all our communities and we won’t allow anyone to take these rights from us.”

Former All Black Taine Randell, who now owns and operates freeze-dried snack food company, Kiwi Garden, said the 360D clause would destroy the value of locally produced exports. “Our overseas customers don’t want genetically modified products. They do not want to be feeding their babies genetically modified food. This would destroy our marketing opportunities and competitive advantage.”

Auckland councillor and former Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says allowing regions to make their own decisions will not impact on life saving drugs, as the Government states, because medicines are excluded from all the regional GM Free plans. “We want to keep the Auckland region GM Free in field and food so we are not putting life saving medicine at risk. We are simply saying let us make our own decisions as a region and how we want to live.”

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule, who’s district was the first in New Zealand to claim its GM Free status, said 360D was about taking away local decision making powers and he urged the Government to reconsider its position. “I support most of the changes to the RMA but the change that we are most concerned about are those that effect our ability as a local community to decide what we want. 360D alllows the Government to override our preferences and particularly in Hastings case, where the district wants to be GM Free.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham said taking away the right to remain GM Free would jeopardise the ability for exporters to stand out on the world stage. “Everything we grow is GM free – we don't grow genetically modified food crops and we want to keep it that way. We export and market our food across the world as GM free. This is our point of difference and it gives us a competitive economic advantage and we want to protect that.”

Exporter, Philip Bird, says 99% of New Zealand export produce is conventional and the international markets are demanding GM Free produce.

Bostock New Zealand owner John Bostock, who has been exporting premium produce for more than thirty years, says the marketing opportunities around the world are huge for growers and the economy, but only if it remains GM Free. “We don’t want central government interfering with how we market our fruit. We want them to stand up and let our community decide our GM policy. New Zealand is never going to feed the world. We will only ever feed a small proportion of the world, so we have to focus on our point of difference and that is offering high-end, premium food that is GM Free.”

Source: Pure Hawkes Bay